


Extraneous Outtakes

by SeeMaree



Series: The Lesser Victor [4]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 21:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3148784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeeMaree/pseuds/SeeMaree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A landing place for all the drabbles and one shots I come up with as I work on Extraneous.  </p>
<p>Some of these are here because they don't fit into the narrative flow, others are too fluffy or not quite cannon compliant.  Some are results of prompts or specific requests.  Basically anything that gets cut or shoots off that still seems worth publishing.  </p>
<p>Feel free to request a scene, prompt me or ask for a moment in a different POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mrs Mellark

**Author's Note:**

> Katniss and Peeta discuss the importance of a name, and whether it should be changed upon marriage.
> 
> It's set in the time period between the victory tour and the Quell announcement, when Peeta and Katniss still believe they will be getting married.

"I don’t want to be Mrs Mellark."

The words are a stab to Peeta’s heart. He has no illusions about Katniss’ reasons for marrying him, but to hear her state her distaste so plainly really hurts.

His pain must reflect clearly on his face because she stops walking and grabs his hands.

"No! Not like that." She looks down muttering to herself.

"I don’t want my name to be Mrs Mellark." Okay, still sounds the same to him, but she looks so intent that he knows there must be more that he’s not understanding.

"I know you don’t want to marry me Katniss" he finally says, hesitantly.

She scowls at him, as if he’s just being stubborn, like he should be able to peer into her brain and discern exactly what she’s thinking.

"I hate your mother, and I don’t want to be called Mrs Mellark." And finally it dawns on him.

They just had a particularly unpleasant encounter with his mother. Peeta tries to keep her as far away from Katniss as he can, but they had run into her coming down the street in town. His mother had sneered as she asked sly cruel questions, making it clear that she despised Katniss and was certain that she’d never be a faithful wife, and yet still believed that her youngest son wasn’t good enough for her.

Katniss had scowled back and edged herself in front of Peeta. Peeta knows that as much as his mothers nasty comments anger Katniss, the real reason for her hatred is the abuses he suffered throughout childhood. Katniss can’t ever seem to help herself when it comes to protecting him. He’s not sure if he should be embarrassed or pleased.

Mrs Mellark had backed down when Katniss had started inching closer. Peeta’s mother might be able to talk circles around his fiance, but Peeta knows she’s more than a little frightened of what Katniss could do to her physically, particularly since she had threatened to kill her if she ever laid a hand on him again.

It shouldn’t surprise him that Katniss has no desire to share a name with that woman. Peeta isn’t really fond of it himself.

"Well you can just stay Everdeen. I don’t mind." But she shakes her head.

"You know that would give the wrong impression. Like I’m not really committed to this." That would be the right impression actually, but Peeta doesn’t say so. Instead the tries to think.

"Well… Effie did tell me once that in the Capitol people can rename themselves."

Katniss wrinkles her nose. “Really”

Peeta grins at the memory. “Yeah, she told me this whole long story about a friend of hers from school whose parents were so taken with the current victor that they named their son after him. The poor poor boy had to go through school named Andrew. Oh the teasing and suffering he endured, having such a horrible provincial name.” Katniss is laughing. He loves making her laugh. “Finally, the day he turned eighteen he was able to give himself a name he deserved. Thaddalonious has been blissfully happy ever since.”

"Why does Effie tell you these things?" Katniss asks breathlessly. Peeta shrugs. He thinks that maybe she’s just lonely and needs someone to talk to.

"Anyway are you suggesting we just pick out a new last name? Will we even be allowed to do that?" Peeta considers it.

"Well the wedding’s going to be televised live isn’t it? So if we just announce it ourselves there won’t be much they can do about it."

"Snow will be mad." Katniss says, but Peeta can tell by the look on her face that’s not really going to stop her.

"He’s already mad. I don’t think he’s going to do much more to us just because we give ourselves a new name." Katniss nods her agreement.

"So we just have to pick something out then." They walk for a while in silence, trying to think of something. Peeta’s having trouble focusing on a name though. He’s too distracted by the way Katniss is acting. Like marrying him isn’t a fate worse than death. Like maybe they could be a couple for real. He’s probably reading too much into things.

He glances over at her. Her eyes are sparkling and she still has a small smile on her face. She certainly doesn’t look like the idea of their wedding is weighing heavily on her. It’s probably more the idea of defying the president in this one tiny way that’s putting the spring in her step. But still…

They’re almost back to victors village when Katniss finally breaks the silence.

"I’ve got something" Her cheeks are pink from the cold and she looks at him from under her eyelashes. Does she realize what that does to him? "Just tell me if you don’t like it, okay?" When she looks at him like that he’s willing to agree to anything. "How about Everlark?"

He considers it for a moment. “Not Meldeen? No, Everlark is better. I like it. It says we’re a team.” A huge smile breaks across her face.

"It does doesn’t it?" She impulsively throws her arms around him, pulling him close. "We can get through this if we’re a team, right?" she says against his neck, her voice suddenly shaky.

"Right" he whispers into her hair. "Team Everlark."

Perhaps this whole forced marriage thing isn’t going to be as horrible as he imagined.


	2. It's Only a Scratch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peeta tries to keep the training for the quell going, even if he does end up getting stabbed.
> 
> Written in response to the tumblr prompt: It's Only a Scratch Asshole

Spring is turning toward summer, and the weather is unseasonably hot. The heat, and the shadow of the reaping, coming so soon, is weighing on all of them. Today they’re supposed to be climbing trees, and it’s not going well.

Haymitch seems to have some sort of childhood skill, but the years of abusing his body are adversely affecting this, and every other athletic endeavor. Peeta’s a dead loss at it, climbing anything more than stairs is almost impossible for him with his prosthetic. Katniss, of course, climbs like a monkey, and is getting increasingly impatient with the others inability to keep up.

After listening to Haymitch and Katniss snipe at each other while he struggles to clamber onto the first branch Peeta is done. It’s too hot, and he’s too tired to hear them go at it much longer. 

“Let’s take a break,” he yells, and turns toward the shady spot where they left their packs. The luxury of owning a freezer means that even with the heat, the water in the bottle is still cold. Sometimes the small luxuries mean a lot.

Haymitch comes and sits beside him and takes out an orange and begins peeling it. Katniss snatches up her own pack and stomps off to lean against a different tree. Peeta tries to ignore their pettiness, he knows this thing is hard on them all.

He stares down the road to town, watching the wind making little swirling eddies in the dust. He tries to take it all in, appreciate every small beauty. He won’t be seeing any more summers. He wonders about the life he would have lived. Would he have been happy? He’s had very little happiness in his life up to now, but he has always had hope that things could be better. But now, this is it. A few more weeks and then he’ll be dead. Now the only hope he has left is that by dying she will live. Will she even miss him when he’s gone?

He blocks out the thought. He’s learned that going down that path only brings pain, and he’s got enough pain ahead of him.

He stands up and gives Katniss a look. She pulls a face, but gets to her feet. They are definitely done with trees for today, but they can still fit in another activity before dinner. He gives Haymitch a gentle kick to get him moving too.

Haymitch flinches and makes a wild slashing motion with his knife, and Peeta leaps back, but the training must be paying off, he’s a lot faster than he was just a few months ago. Peeta lets out a yell and falls to the ground, blood running from his leg. And then Katniss between them, screaming at Haymitch, and Haymitch is bellowing back. He hadn’t noticed that Haymitch had fallen asleep. Somehow, between the two of them they pull him to his feet and drag him into Katniss’ kitchen. He mother is already there, probably drawn by all the shouting. 

He’s seated on the table and his leg swiftly examined. 

“It’s not bad,” Mrs Everdeen pronounces, “but it will need a couple of stitches.” Katniss sits beside him and holds his hand while it’s done, and he focuses on not squeezing too tight and hurting her.

“He only has one leg,” she hisses at Haymitch, “are you trying to take the other?” 

“It’s just scratch, asshole,” he growls back. And for some reason that strikes Peeta as funny, because doesn’t Haymitch know he’s only supposed to call her sweetheart? He starts to giggle. Katniss stares at him in confusion. Mrs Everdeen pats his head.

“It’s just the adrenaline. He’s fine. Take home and put him to bed, no more training today, and take it easy tomorrow.” She looks at each of them in turn. Peeta tries to restrain his laughter, and nod seriously. He doesn’t pull it off.

As Katniss walks him home and helps him out of his boots the false hilarity fades away, and he feels drained. He goes into the bathroom to get ready to sleep, and when he comes out Katniss is sitting cross-legged on his bed.

“You don’t have to stay, I’m fine.” But she shakes her head. “I want to. You take care of me all the time. Can’t I return the favor?” He gets into bed, hoping she’ll climb in beside him. She doesn’t, so he rolls onto his side, putting his back to her. He’s exhausted and it doesn’t take long for him to drift off. 

It’s probably a dream, but as he slips away he’s sure he feels her hands running through his hair. 

When he wakes up she’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ramblings surrounding the quell training, and Haymitch's tendency to try to stab people who wake him. Hopefully worth reading!


	3. Hot and Angsty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in response to a request for 'hot, angsty, cannon everlark.'

He’s taken his shirt off again. The last few months of intense training have been good to Peeta. He’s always been strong. But now any hint of softness is gone. All of his muscles are clearly defined, and his face looks less like the boy he was when he was reaped, and more like the man he could become. Will become, Katniss corrects herself. Peeta will survive to become an adult, and live a long and happy life.

She knows he’s self conscious about his missing leg, but he’s relaxed enough now to wear shorts around her and Haymitch. And Katniss is glad. Because she may have had her arms wrapped around him countless times, but she’s never seen him like this, fit, strong and almost naked.

She shouldn’t let her eyes linger.

He’s not her’s to look at. He could’ve been. For a while he almost was. He used to look at her like she was the most important person in the world. He doesn’t look at her that way now. Ever since the quell announcement he’s been rejecting her, shrugging off her hand, never snuggling next to her on the couch, asking his brother to teach her wrestling instead of doing it himself, as if he can’t bear to touch her, even in combat. 

She misses him so much. Sometimes when she wakes alone at night, it’s hard not to dash next door to find comfort in his arms. Remembering that he would push her away always holds her back.

But right now he’s standing in front of her and he’s so beautiful she can’t tear her eyes away.

Perhaps that’s why, when Madge steps up beside her and makes an appreciative noise, she has to swallow back a possessive growl. She should encourage Madge to look at him that way. When he comes home alone he’s going to need someone to hold him together. Katniss can’t think of anyone better. But she just can’t do it. 

When she’s dead Peeta can date all the girls he wants. But not until then.

 

When Peeta turns around and sees that Madge has dropped by it’s all he can do to stop himself from dashing into the house to get covered up. He feels himself turning pink all over. Hopefully it passes as sunburn or something. 

He hates feeling this way. He never used to be ashamed of his body, growing up sharing a room with two brothers rid him of that. But he can’t help but be conscious of how very incomplete he is now. Weeks of sleeping with Katniss in his arms convinced him that she doesn’t care, and a few minutes ago he was enjoying the way her eyes keep wandering his body. Staring at him like he’s someone worth looking at. 

It makes him long to touch her. But he can’t. He had to stop trying to get her to fall for him when the quell was announced. It was selfish, and he wants to make his death as easy as possible for her.

But he’s weak. He can’t help the little thrill that goes through him when he feels her eyes on him.

Madge is a different matter. He can just sense her eyes focusing on the piece of metal and plastic attached to him. He can’t do this. He mutters something about getting drinks and heads back to his house. 

When he comes out he’s wearing a t shirt and long pants. Madge doesn’t look at him again, and Katniss’ eyes don’t linger either. It’s better this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything else you want to see? Leave me a prompt/request in the comments, or you can contact me privately  
> http://iamseemaree.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Katniss and Peeta giving themselves a new last name, and the name they choose is Everlark? 
> 
> It seems likely to me that they would be happy to separate themselves from his abusive and disinterested family, and Katniss would want to keep that bit of the name she got from her father.


End file.
